Abstract

We determined the lattice location of Mn in ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As using the electron emission channeling technique. We show that interstitial Mn occupies the tetrahedral site with As nearest neighbors (TAs) both before and after thermal annealing at 200 °C, whereas the occupancy of the tetrahedral site with Ga nearest neighbors (TGa) is negligible. TAs is therefore the energetically favorable site for interstitial Mn in isolated form as well as when forming complexes with substitutional Mn. These results shed new light on the long standing controversy regarding TAsversus TGa occupancy of interstitial Mn in (Ga,Mn)As.

This work was supported by the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders, the Concerted Research Action of the KU Leuven GOA/14/007, the KU Leuven BOF (CREA/14/013 and STRT/14/002), the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (CERN/FP/123585/2011), the BMBF German research program under Contract Nos. 05KK7TS2 and 05K10TS2 G.N.P.O., and the European Union Seventh Framework through ENSAR (European Nuclear Science and Applications Research, Contract No. 262010) and SPIRIT (Support of Public and Industrial Research Using Ion Beam Technology, Contract No. 227012).

Key Topics

[Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the
magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic
properties, Magnets or magnetic bodies characterised by the magnetic materials therefor; Selection of materials for their magnetic properties]